Overbids make county $200,000
The Marshall County tax lien sale brought in a whopping $200,932 in overbids, according to tax collector Betty Byrd.
There were 188 registered buyers and 52 active buyers. The total parcels sold came to 2,233. The total collect for the tax and penalty came to $1,848,702 and with the overbid came to $2,049,634.
This tax sale is for unpaid taxes for tax year 2017.
For comparison, the 2010 tax lien sale brought in $1.43 million and an overbid of $71,700.
The new statewide system of bidding by computer has made it possible for the county to collect more dollars in overbids – money that goes into the general fund.
Byrd also reported she has a buyer for old surrendered license plates at $5 a box. Tri State Metal and Recycling has agreed to purchase the old tags at no cost to the county.
Supervisors approved travel for the tax collector and two deputies to travel to Natchez for fall conference and the tax assessor and two deputies to also attend.
County engineer Larry Britt reported on several ongoing projects:
• the red iron is up on the new Workforce Training Center under construction at Cayce Road and Wingo Road. All construction materials are on site and he said the work goes much more slowly when the interior of the building is being finished. The construction is expected to be finished by Christmas or early January 2019.
Thirty-three percent of the $3 million project has been spent. The next step is to put the building up. No work on the parking lot will be done until much of the traffic in and out of the parking area is completed.
• Eubanks Construction requested a payment of $119,326 on the waterline project at Cooper Tire.
• The elevated water tank at Niagara Bottling is progressing. An invoice was submitted to pay $148,232 to the contractor.
• repair of Wall Hill Road is looking good and riding 100 percent better. There is some more leveling left on other projects. Application of micro seal or reseal will begin soon. There are 30-plus miles of road repair taking place this summer using State Aid road project monies.
New state monies
Supervisors discussed what was expected to be the county’s portion of new revenues coming from the state lottery and other measures approved by the Legislature in a special called session in August.
Supervisor George Zinn III questioned money going into education.
“There is some going into the Local System Bridge Program, and municipalities get some money,” said District 5 supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett. “There are lots of fingers in that cookie jar. There is $80 million to divide between 82 counties and the municipalities won’t get much.”
Supervisors invited members of the local delegation to come to the boardroom for the September 17 meeting to explain the new legislation to raise more revenue from new sources to help pay for roads and bridges.